Power of SUNY

Magrath Awarded Honorary Degree in South Africa

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, chancellor of the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in South Africa, conferred an honorary doctorate on C. Peter Magrath, president of Binghamton University, in March 2011.

Magrath’s connection to UWC stretches back to the mid-1980s when, as president of the University of Missouri (UM), he was instrumental in launching the South African Education Program. Focused on advancing mutual understanding and cooperation between the institutions’ faculties, the program has sponsored more than 365 exchange visits between the two institutions over the past 25 years. The honorary doctorate from UWC puts Magrath among an elite group of world leaders, including former president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela.

In addition to receiving the honorary degree, Magrath was also able to share his broad experience in higher education in a presentation in which he discussed the challenges that colleges and universities around the world are facing. He also discussed the loss of state and government support and its subsequent impact. Magrath was able to have a series of discussions with UWC representatives to discuss possible collaborations with Binghamton University.